Explorations in Canaan by Edward A. Fergerson

March 1, 2017 // Story

EXPLORATIONS IN CANAAN  By Edward A. Fergerson

“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy

bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” – Isaiah 8:11

Office of God’s Revivalist Mount of Blessings Cincinnati, Ohio

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Digital Edition 12/02/99 By Holiness Data Ministry

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A FOREWORD

Like as the wild-rose bush found in the woodland on a summer’s morn, laden with fragrant

roses, so God’s promises are ever fresh with heaven’s perfume.

I do not claim for them a new setting, but I have endeavored, as it were, to cut away the

shrubbery and the undergrowth in order that you may have the better view and appreciation of them.

Now unto my precious wife, whom God has so graciously given me, that stands shoulder to

shoulder with me in the work, the mother of my precious Children, is this little work most lovingly dedicated.

Trusting it will encourage and inspire God’s holy people to greater faith and sacrifice until

He comes, I am yours in holy love,

A. Fergerson.

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SUBJECTS

1 A Separated People

2 A People That Dwell On High

3 A Safe People

4 A Hilarious People

5 A Blessed People

6 A Liberal People

7 A People That Are Ahead

8 A People That Are On Top

9 A Satisfied People

10 A Well-Fed People

11 A Healthy People

12 A Joyful People

13 A Prosperous People

A Filled People

15 A Conquering People

16 A Rich People

17 A Hidden People

18 A Delivered People

19 A Free People

20 A Flourishing People

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1 A SEPARATED PEOPLE

Richly laden are the promises of God to His obedient children. Truly we are severed “from

the nations round about us, and chosen to be a special people above all the people upon the face of the earth.” (Deut. vii; 6.) Nor has the Lord chosen us because we are more in number than any people, but He has set His love upon us because we were THE FEWEST OF ALL PEOPLE. (Deut. vii, 7.)

The scarceness of the article increases its value. Great wealth is sometimes conveyed in

small packages.

God’s holy people, exploring Canaan, bring consternation to the enemies’ ranks wherever

they go. They load to kill. The missiles of truth from His agents do execution. They hit with the edge of the board. The giants flee When God’s holy people come marching through the land, “clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and as terrible as an army With banners.” (Cant. vi, 10.) They are above all the people upon the face of the earth.

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2 A PEOPLE THAT DWELL ON HIGH

This is a high profession — “He shall dwell on high” — margin, heights or high places. (Isa.

xxxiii, 16.) In this tropical clime, under turquoise sky, standing on some high eminence in Canaan, he may be seen With ruddy cheeks and a happy smile, laden With the fruit of the land, exploring his possessions, which are limitless; the rich yellow grain, Waving in the golden sunlight as the breezes of heaven waft to him the fragrant odors of unexplored territory, — all seem to invite and hurry him on and on.

“He beholds the land that is afar off,” and not only that, he “sees the King in His beauty.”

(Isa. xxxiii, 17.) Beholding the land afar off implies a telescopic eye. Now he adjusts his telescope of faith, and that which was afar off is brought nigh. AS the room must be darkened and all the lights shut out, to get the best view through this World’s telescopes of the planets, so we must shut out all human reasoning and light of this world’s “wiseacres” to enter and dwell in this land. By a simple act of faith in the shed blood of Christ, make one bold dash for Jordan and go through at any cost. Climb out on the other side, get you a ram’s horn, shout “Hallelujah,” start through the land, and don’t stop. There is no fence to the back side of this country.

Then too, “his bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure.” Here is a promise that

you will never starve to death. Although the devil tries to make us believe we will if we enter into this experience, we know he is a liar. And, then, here is an unbounded promise from our Father to sustain us: “And the Scripture can not be broken.” (John x, 35.) Well do We remember how the devil magnified and brought before our vision the poorhouse, and tried to scare us out; even some of our friends and kindred joined him; but we turned a deaf ear to it all, and followed our Joshua on to victory, and entered the land. The best of all is, our habitation is safe.

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3 A SAFE PEOPLE

“His place of defense shall be the Munitions of Rocks.” The raging storms and roaring

breakers of a hundred generations may beat and break at the base of this Gibraltar, but you are safe, “and His children shall have a place of refuge.” (Prov. xiv, 26.) No enemy can scale the battlements of this defense.

These “rock-dwellers” know no defeat, and are perfectly safe, therefore a happy people.

“Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.” (Isa. xlii, 11.) They can sing and shout as no other people, on Monday, wash-day, scrub-day, and all other days. They continually abide and confide. They are justified, sanctified, satisfied, happyfied, electrified, and never horrified, and all of them expect to be glorified.

“Happy is that man that maketh the Lord. his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as

turn aside to lies.” (Psa. xl, 4.)

“Happy are they that dwell in Thy house, they shall still be praising Thee.” (Psa. lxxxiv, 4.)

“Happy is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of

Thy countenance; in Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” (Psa. lxxxix, 15, 16.)

On Monday they are happy, on Tuesday full of joy, On Wednesday they have peace within the devil can’t destroy, On Thursday and on Friday they are walking in the light, Saturday is a heaven below, and Sunday’s always bright.

“For we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” (1 Cor. iv, 9.)

They are ahead on all occasions; and when there is no occasion, they are still ahead. They are like the solid marble cube; turn them any way you will, and they are right side up. A lady said to me not long since, “You folks claim that your prayers are answered, no matter how it comes out.” Exactly; when it comes out, and when it don’t come out, you will find us holding a sack at the spout

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4 A HILARIOUS PEOPLE

“Let them shout from the top of the mountains.” This pure mountain air is refreshing and

brings health to the soul. Thus lifted high above the World, its roar and din is only music to our ears. Far above the quagmires of sin, the fog and miasma of the lowlands bother us no more. We hear no more the hooting of the owls, the croaking of the frogs, and the snapping of the turtles. We have forgotten our former misery as waters that have passed away. (Job xi, 16.) “Let them shout.” The saint’s “shouter” is what an engine’s pop-valve is to an engine; without this valve the engine would explode at times. Now, a Christian that is one indeed has that same feeling at times, and all that seems to save some of us is our “shouter.” The harder you work a “good steaming” engine the more steam she will generate; hence the greater need for the valve.

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5 A BLESSED PEOPLE

Now, in Deuteronomy xxviii, 12, we are told that “the Lord shall open to thee His good

treasure . . . and bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations and thou shalt not borrow.” God’s children are never out borrowing, they are rich, and are able to lend and give away. When I was a boy on the farm they used to send me to the neighbors to borrow fire when we were out. Many are doing that thing in religion today. “They are out.” They are all the time borrowing or warming by some one’s fire but their own. You will see them at camp-meeting in a nicely-furnished cottage, at all the services with pencil and paper; they always know who the best evangelist is, and it is always the one that ‘s not there that year. They don’t sweat and groan around the mourners’-bench; their linen stays in its proper place, and don’t sweat down, like the most of folks. They can swing in a hammock, “but never on the rainbow.”

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6 A LIBERAL PEOPLE

Thank God, there is an experience Where you can lend and give away all you have all the

time; and the more you practice it, the more you have to hand out. “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” (Prov. xi, 24, 25.)

“The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven, . . . to bless all the work of

thine hand.”

“And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods.”

“And the Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses.”

“And the Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy

face; they shall come out against thee one way, and flee seven ways.”

“There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of

you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon.”

The Lord plainly tells us in Deuteronomy xxviii, 13, that He will “make thee the head and

not the tail.”

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7 PEOPLE THAT ARE AHEAD

The world puts us behind, but God puts us ahead. “For that which is highly esteemed

among men, is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke xvi, 15.) What men put on top, God puts underneath. Men put riches, pleasure, luxury, and in fact everything else ahead of a holy life. Gold seems to be at the top here, but we will walk on it in heaven. The Lord wants us to lead and not to follow. In other words, we are to “set” the fashions, and not follow them.

When the newly-elected governor moved in, to take up his duties, and sent his children to

school, they returned sad-hearted because the other children had made fun of their clothes. The governor told them to go back and tell the ones that had ridiculed them that they were the governor’s children, and had come to lead the fashions, and not to follow them.

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8 A PEOPLE THAT ARE ON TOP

“Thou shalt be above only and shalt not be beneath.” They may cover us up with argument

and reasoning, but we have the goods. Somehow or other, we are soon on top, flying our flags. We may have to go to Potiphar’s prison or through the lion’s den, but it only means that we are to soon sit on the throne; and the very things that Satan throws in our way to make us stumble are only stepping-stones to lift us higher and nearer to God . Hence, always on top.

Now, in the eleventh chapter of Deuteronomy He says: “For if ye shall diligently keep all

these commandments which I command you; to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him; then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you, and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as He hath said unto you.” (Deut. xi, 22-25.) Here He promises to fight our battles, give – us unlimited possessions, and put the fear of us on the land. Then again, in Joel, He promises us that we shall have plenty.

“And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that

hath dwelt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel ii, 26.)

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9 A SATISFIED PEOPLE

Then in the twenty-fourth verse He says we shall have the overflow blessing: “And the

floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.” (Joel ii, 24.) Furthermore, He promises us that we shall be satisfied, and not Only satisfied, but abundantly satisfied: “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.” (Psa. xxxvi, 8.)

Now, here we are at the river, and it is a river of pleasure. This is just one of His rivers.

God’s rivers are many. He has rivers of peace, delight, joy, life, quietness, assurance, satisfaction, etc.

“His rivers are full.” Throw away your cup and wade in — there is plenty. O, that you

would hearken to Him, dear reader! that your “peace may be as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea.” (Isa. xlviii, 18.) You may not only enjoy the waters of Shiloh, that “go softly” “and rejoice,” but, behold, the Lord will bring upon you “the waters of the river strong and many; . . . and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.” It will not only overflow Judah, but he shall overflow and stretch out and “fill the breadth of the land.” (Isa. viii, 6-8.) Hallelujah!

“Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtain of thy habitations; spare

not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on

the left.” (Isa. liv, 2, 3.) The creeks and rivers are out of their banks. “Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.” Prov. v, 16.)

Come on, there is plenty, and to spare. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let

him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. xxii, 17.)

Not only are we to drink at the river, but we shall be “abundantly SATISFIED with the

fatness of Thy house.” “And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the Lord.” (Jer. xxxi, 14.)

In order to be fat and flourishing and satisfied, we must eat at His table, and not only that,

but we must sleep where we take our meals. “He giveth His beloved sleep.” “When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou Shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.” (Prov. iii, 24.)

Some folks are imitating the world — they “take their meals out.” They come up to

campmeeting, get wonderfully revived, and shout the whole ten days through, go back home and support a preacher all the year that clubs their experience and speaks disparagingly of the holiness work in general at every chance he gets., Then they never attend a holiness meeting until the camp rolls around another year; then they have to be worked over. They cross Jordan with the crowd, spy out the land, get a bunch of grapes, then go back to the wilderness. They move over into the land during the ten days, but they don’t dwell in the land. (Ezek. xxxvi, 28.)

Some will support a holiness-fighting, tobacco-using preacher, and then run off to some

holiness meeting to get their souls fed. If you give a dollar on the one hand to preach holiness, and then turn right around on the other hand and give a dollar to a fellow that fights holiness, you simply tear down what you build up, and you are getting nowhere. Now, one or the other is right. Judge ye.

Now listen to the Word of the Lord on this point: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to

the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy ‘ and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” (Isa. lv, 1, 2.) Folks that spend their time and money for that which satisfieth not need not expect to enjoy a Canaan experience.

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10 A WELL-FED PEOPLE

“Eat ye that which is good.” That is, eat at the Lord’s table, where the “good” things are; for

that is all that His true servants put on the table, for the simple reason He don’t furnish anything for His table that is not good. “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psa. ciii, 5.) “The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul.” (Prov. xiii, 25.)

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Psa. xxiii, 5.) “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” (Isa. i, 19.) “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him. (Psa. xxii, 26.)

“Now, therefore, give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto

your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth forever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.” (Ezra ix, 12.)

On our Father’s table is found “wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his

face to shine ‘ and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.” “Thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, and thou shalt not lack anything. . . . When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He has given thee.” (Deut. viii, 9, 10.)

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11 A HEALTHY PEOPLE

“They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psa. xcii,

14.) Flourishing in the margin here is marked “green.” That is, they shall have an ever green experience. “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree.” The fir is evergreen. They shall be green and flourishing continually.

“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy

bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isa. lviii, 11.) Notice, He will guide (not drag) us continually (not by spells), satisfy our souls in drought. This enables us to “drink running waters out of our own well.” (Prov. v, 15.) And when all the little surface Springs around dry up, we have an abundance of water in our spring, from the fact that we have dug deep and struck water that never faileth, or, as the margin has it, “never deceives.”

In order to be fat and flourishing, healthy and satisfied, we must eat the right kind of food,

drink pure water (that is, at the Fountain that never runs dry), and take proper exercise; for these are all necessary and conducive to good health to the soul.

“Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the

abundance of peace and truth.” (Jer. xxxiii, 6.)

“And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to

give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.” (Deut. xi, 9.)

“So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psa. ciii, 5.)

The above Scriptures are proof positive that the people that are in the land are a healthy,

long-lived people:

“And the inhabitant shall not Say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven

their iniquity.” (Isa. xxxiii, 24.)

“With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.” (Psa. xci, 16.)

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12 A JOYFUL PEOPLE

Not only are the inhabitants of Canaan healthy, rugged, and satisfied, but they are a joyful

people. “Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.” (Acts ii, 28.) They gaze at the King and look on His countenance until they are “changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor. iii, 18.) They live as it were, in the immediate presence of God. “In Thy presence is fullness of joy.” (Psa. xvi, 11.)

“The kingdom of God is . . . righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Rom.

xiv, 17.) According to this analysis, one-third of religion is joy. “In whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” (1 Pet. i, 8.) “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isa. xii, 3.) “They eat their bread with joy, and drink wine with a merry heart; their garments are always white, and their head lacks no ointment.” (Eccl. ix, 7, 8.) They “Sing for joy.” (Isa. lxv, 14.) They “shout for joy.” (Ezra iii, 12.) They “leap for joy.” (Acts xiv, 10.) They “offer sacrifices of joy.” (Psa. xxvii, 6.) They are “filled with joy.” (Acts xiii, 52.) Their “joy increases.” (Isa. xxix, 19.) “The joy of the Lord is their strength.” (Neh. viii, 10.) Their joy is “full.” (Psa. xvi, 11.) Their joy is “everlasting.” (Isa. xxxv, 10.)

And what shall I more say? — for the time would fail me to tell of David before the Ark,

the cripple at the Gate Beautiful, of the crowd that descended the Mount of Olives with our Savior, of Gideon’s pitcher brigade; also of the folks that crossed Jordan, and of Ezra’s crowd, — how that, with joy and shouting, they danced before the Ark, went walking, leaping, and praising God through the temple, made the Pharisees mad, put to flight the armies of the Midianites, laid the corner-stone for a Holiness Church, knocked down Jericho, took Ai, and cleaned up the whole land. And all in the world they had to do was to shout, and blow horns, and keep on the “prancing” committee, and celebrate. God helps us to see that the joy of the Lord is our strength!

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13 A PROSPEROUS PEOPLE

The people in Canaan are a prosperous people.

“Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among

you, or among your cattle.” (Deut vii, 14.)

“And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of

thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee.” (Deut. vii, 13.)

“And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of

thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee.” (Deut. xxviii, 11.)

“The Lord shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land

in his season, and to bless all the work of thy hand.” (Deut. xxviii, 12.)

“The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou

settest thy hand unto: and He shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Deut. xxviii, 8.)

The above Scriptures show us that every way we turn we shall prosper, and everything we

set our hands to, He will bless it. These promises are unlimited, and come from God our Father. God’s holy people honor Him in keeping His commandments and with their substance and with the firstfruits of all their increase, and, of course, their “barns are filled with plenty, and their presses burst out with new wine.” (Prov. iii, 9, 10.)

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14 THEY ARE A FILLED PEOPLE

“Their floors are full of wheat” and their “fats overflow with wine and oil.” The Jews

were required to appear at Jerusalem three times a year, — once at the Feast of the Passover, then at the Feast of the Tabernacles, and at the Feast of Pentecost At the Feast of Pentecost they were to come up “full” of the firstfruits of all the land. It came at harvest, or threshing-time. When God called Gideon, he was “threshing wheat” behind the winepress. He had the blessing. Every little fellow in this land has “wheat to thresh” (the floors are full), and grapes to bruise (fats overflow), and oil in abundance.

They are always full. They all know how to “sack wheat;” and when the angel of the Lord

comes seeking one of these “Abi-Ezerites,” he invariably finds him threshing and making preparation to celebrate at Pentecost; i e., getting ready to go to some big holiness meeting in the country somewhere. And about all he wants to talk about is, wheat and grapes, and going to meeting. Glory! Abi means Father; Ezer means treasure (Father of Treasures Rich). These ”Abi-Ezerites” are rich, always FULL. He “filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.” (Psa. cxlvii, 14.) And not only that, they are fuller than full; they overflow the floors. The overflow blessing is to refresh those around us; the little we can hold we need for ourselves. Their mouths are full.

“Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psa. lxxxi, 10.) God fills the mouth by first filling the heart. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matt. xii, 34.)

They are full of joy. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.”

(Rom. xv, 13.) One can not know peace and joy by trying to feel them, but by believing God. We have only one case in the Bible where a fellow wanted to go by feeling, and he got fooled. That was Isaac trying to feel of Esau.

Now, peace and joy come by believing. Where faith is triumphant, joy is full, and peace

“passeth understanding.” Furthermore ‘ they are filled with the Spirit. “Be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. v, 18.) There is a like analogy in being filled with the Spirit and being filled, or drunk, on wine.

There are three classes of people in the world: 1. The abstainers; 2. The tipplers; 3. The

teetotalers. Now, these “Abi-Ezerites” that dwell in the land are teetotalers, or, in others words, have gone on a “stem-winder”–drunk on new wine. A man drunk on the wine of the world will whoop and yell, and he don’t care who hears him, and if folks don’t like it he goes right on just the same, throwing his old hat and having a time. He will spend the last cent he has in treating the crowd, and, despite all the entreaties and pleadings of loved ones and friends, he keeps right on. The weather never gets too cold for him to venture forth, and he don’t stop for the weather or, in fact, for anything. Just so with the people of God who are filled with the Spirit. In the eyes of the world they carry on ridiculously. They jump and shout, knock down chairs, and lose their old hats, and raise a dust, and, though the refined and cultured world don’t approve, they go right on. They will give the last cent they have to help spread holiness. And although their kindred and loved ones try to keep them from spending their money in the holiness movement, they keep going, and it never gets too hot, or too cold, either, for them to perform. They sally forth at all hours and on all Occasions, whether they have the best clothes in the country or not. They wear the best they have, and shout the victory.

They are filled above measure. “God giveth not the Spirit by measure.” (John iii, 34.) They

enjoy good measure, pressed down, and Shaken together, and running over.” (Luke vi, 38.) They are the recipients of the uncontainable “blessing.” (Mal. iii, 10.) “Their cup runneth over.” (Psa. xxiii, 5.) They are filled with “light” (Luke xi, 34-36), and with ” power.” (Micah iii, 8.) With ”wisdom.” (Col. i, 9, 10.) With “knowledge.” (1 Cor. ii, 12.) With “righteousness.” (Matt. V, 6.) With “peace.” (Rom. xv, 13.) With “joy.” (Acts ii, 28.) With “goodness.” (Rom. xv, 14.) With ”grace and truth.” (John i, 16, 17.) With all the fullness of God. (Eph. iii, 19.)

Then, again, they are filled with the fruit of righteousness.

“Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and

praise of God.” (Phil. i, 11.)

“And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee

for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; that thou Shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God Shall choose to place His name

there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come unto the country which the Lord sware unto our fathers for to give us.” (Deut. xxvi, 3.)

We see, by the above Scripture, that we are to have on exhibition a sample of the fruit all

the time; and, furthermore, we are to profess with our mouths as well. Now, some people say just live it, but don’t say anything about it; but this says we are to profess with our mouths, and not only that, but we are to go to the preacher “that shall be in those days,” and say it unto him; and to all the places where the Lord Shall choose to have it told. We are to profess in this land as well as possess.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. v, 22.) Here is a basket well filled with the various fruit of the land.

In John xv, 8, we read that discipleship is based on fruit-bearing: “Herein is my Father

glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” O, reader, it is your blessed privilege to be filled with the fruit of the land, and keep it on exhibition the year round. Truly the people that dwell in the land are a filled people, and are celebrating (showing off) every day in the year. Lord, increase the number. Amen.

In Psalm xxiii our Father gives a beautiful picture and description of these people in the

land. He Says: “Beneath us are the pastures of green grass. Beside us are restful waters. Around us are paths of righteousness. With us is the Lord Himself; upon us, the anointing of the Holy Spirit; behind us, goodness and mercy; before us, the everlasting home. For our possession we have our Savior for our Shepherd. Our provision, we shall not want; our position, lie dow-rest; our pasture, green grass; our progress, He leadeth us . The purpose is, for His name’s sake; our peace, we will fear no evil; our protection, “Thou art with me.” In our pilgrimage, we have “rod and staff;” our participation, “Thou preparest;” our preservation, in the presence of our enemies; our preparation, ”He anointeth our head with oil.” We have plenty-our cup runneth over. Our persuasion is that ”goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life,” and our place will be to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” and though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil.

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15 A CONQUERING PEOPLE.

God’s holy people will rob that king of terrors, Death, of half his spoils, by hastening from

conflict to conflict; and from triumph to triumph, they will strew their lives through the years with dying, mostly done before death is aware of it, leaving this ruthless conqueror conquered, down to the mockery of killing a shadow.

The dear Lord will take His faithful children out of the world when they leave. Out of pity

for their exhaustion, He will say to His angels: “Bring that hard worker out of my vineyard home to

rest. J see him trembling on his staff; having spent the years in my service, bring him home to my throne that I may say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; enter into thy joy, and sit down on my throne.'” The angels will take him with sweat on his brow, his limbs trembling, but the enemy’s darts shaking from his armor. And suppose he is out of breath, and it requires angel’s wings to fan him through into the upper tides: odors from the cinnamon-groves of the New Jerusalem shall bring us to, and eternity shall suffice for an eternal rest. Glory to God, we are more than conquerors through life, and know no defeat in death!

Home at last. The voyage is over, the tempest hushed, the soul soothed; no more

heart-aches; no more tired and wearied bodies: no more disappointments; no more thorns to be extracted. Blessed rest from earth’s toils! Let the night swoop on, and the Euroclydon toss the sea. Let the thunders roar; all is well, — safe at last.

Christ in the heavens to lead the way; His arms inclose us; His grace comforts us; His light

cheers us; His glory enchants us; His presence satisfies us.

Standing with us in the morning of the day that knows no night, He will lead us on up, and

out toward the noonday meridian of that world whose luster shall never fade, but shine the more, as the measureless expanse of eternity shall roll on and on.

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16 A RICH PEOPLE

Hidden Riches — “And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of

secret places that thou mayest know that I, the Lord which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” (Isa. xlv, 3.) Here we are promised hidden riches and treasures of darkness. The most valuable treasures we have, come from the dark mine: and it requires sacrifice and toil to come in possession of them, and men of this world spare no pains to find them. So God would have us understand, if we want the riches of His kingdom, we must go down in His mine and toil. The person that digs long and deep is the one that brings up the nuggets of gold when he comes forth.

Reader, are you willing, as it were, to put on old clothes, take your pick and shovel, go

down in the dark and work in the damp mine, and risk everything to gain the eternal riches that never fade? Jesus says the “children of this world are wiser than the children of light.” He meant by that the world puts forth every effort to get along and to get rich. They go early and late, when they are tired and when they don’t feel like it, and sometimes when all hope seems to be gone, and every avenue and channel to success appears to be cut off, yet they push forward to victory. And if one fails in business he don’t stop: it only makes him more determined than ever to succeed.

May God help us to see that we have just what we are living for: and to the extent that we

are laying ourselves out to obtain the eternal riches do we possess them. Our faith is the measuring-line to our experience.

“Riches and honor are with me: yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better

than gold, yea, than fine gold: and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment, that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures.” (Prov. viii, 18-21.)

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Phil. iv, 19.)

If we need grace, He has it in plenty. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward

you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” (2 Cor. ix, 8.)

Do we need more mercy and love for others? He is rich toward us in it. “But God who is

rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.” (Eph. ii, 4, 5.)

Do we need wisdom? It comes from above: “But the wisdom that is from above is first

pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, with- out partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James iii, 17.)

This wisdom is hidden from the princes of this world: “But we speak the wisdom of God

in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew.” (1 Cor. ii, 7, 8.)

Notice whom this wisdom is hid from: “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit, and said, I

thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.” (Luke x, 21.)

Not only are these riches hid from the world, but He likens us to treasures, and we are hid:

“And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” (Mal. iii, 17.) “Jewels” in the margin is ”treasures;” not only treasures, but SPECIAL TREASURES.

“Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a

peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.” (Ex. xix, 5.) Here He says we are His peculiar treasure.

And we are hid. Glory! “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. iii,

3.)

Now notice what we are hidden from:

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A HIDDEN PEOPLE

(1) Trouble

“For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle

shall He hide me: He shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psa. xxvii, 5.) He has a secret way of hiding His people in the time of trouble. He don’t say that we shall have no trouble, but He will hide us in it when it comes. God’s holy people in Canaan are not exempt from troubles and trials and testings, but they have perfect deliverance through, and in them all.

Then again: “Thou art my hiding-place: Thou shalt preserve me from trouble: Thou shalt

compass me about with songs of deliverance.” (Ps. xxxii, 7.) Not only delivered, but singing through it all. It is one thing to drag through trials, but quite another to “prance” through, and come out with banners a-flying and more courageous than ever, and better equipped for the next battle. ”And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” (Psa. xxvii, 6, 7.)

(2) Hid From the Pride of Man

“Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep

them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Psa. xxxi, 20.) “Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.” (Job V, 21.)

Thank God, He hides us until the pride of man don’t bother us, and there is not a tongue

long enough in the neighborhood to reach us.

(3) Hid From The Wicked and Our Deadly Enemies

“Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings, from the wicked

that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about.” (Psa. xvii, 8, 9.)

Our enemies are all about us on every side ready to devour us, but our refuge is under “His

wings.” (Psa. lvii, 1.) “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” (Psa. xci, 4.) Here is the picture of the little chick when it nestles under the wing of its mother when it anticipates any danger, and sticks its head out through the feathers to see what is going on outside.

And He promises “to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will

give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth Saving he that receiveth it.” (Rev. ii, 17.) White is the emblem of purity: stone means solidity. Note, He gives us to eat of the hidden manna. This manna is only given to those who are hid.

The people who are hid with Christ share the white stone. Their garments are white: “And

to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” (Rev. xix, 8.) Not only are their clothes white, but they are white.

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psa. li, 7.) “Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire.” (Lam. iv, 7.) To be white is quite significant. It takes seven colors to make white: viz., red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The number seven is a perfect Bible number – symbolic. Just as it requires the full number of these colors to constitute white, so the inhabitant of Canaan has all the ingredients of the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians in his heart, and when the prism (the Holy Ghost) divides or searches out His heart, every part stands out in full to make the beautiful, perfect love (white) that Paul tolls us is superior to everything else. In fact, it takes all the lesser things to constitute what the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians was designed to teach-Perfect Love. The people that have this beautiful pearl of great price are in possession of eternal riches that shall never perish or fade with the using.

“Riches in glory, O what a thought! Jesus’ own blood this wealth for us bought: He became poor so we might be made Heirs to the joy that never will fade.

Riches in glory, O what a store! Treasurers the soul can never deplore: E’en while we bear the cross and its shame, Riches in glory gladly we claim.

Riches in glory for you and for me, What a delight the visions we see! Pilgrims today as strangers we ‘re known, While unto God we’re heirs to a throne.

Riches in glory, riches in glory, Riches in glory to meet every need, Riches in glory, riches in glory, Royal supply our wants to exceed.”

Dear reader, check on Heaven’s Bank this minute for all your need. If your deposits are in,

your checks will be honored. “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich and addeth no sorrow.”

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18 A DELIVERED PEOPLE

God has so constituted us that we abhor bondage of any kind. The admonition of Paul is to

stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” “The fear of man bringeth a snare.”

In Luke i, 73-75, we find that He says, “The oath that He sware to our father Abraham, that

He would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.” “Now, the enemies of a man are those of his own house.” (Micah vii, 6.) Here is a promise of our Father to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies in order that we may serve Him without fear, in holiness, all the days of our life.

The greatest enemy of man is the devil. While we are not fully delivered from his presence

and being, in this world, yet we are delivered from his power. “We know that whosoever is born of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1 John v, 18.)

To enjoy the Canaan experience does not exempt one from the assaults and temptations of

the devil: but it does mean deliverance and victory through them all. Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are. “He suffered being tempted.” Of course, the devil will come along and throw his old black wing over us, and try to make us think we are backslidden: but that is the time to exercise faith. He will bring up some evil imagination, and then accuse us, and try to make it appear that it is ours.

Now, there is a vast difference between thoughts of sin and sinful thoughts. One is like the

tramp knocking at the door for admittance, and the other is like the tramp already admitted, and eating at the table. If the devil brings his children around to my back doorstep, and leaves them, I just open the door and sweep them out, all the while singing some favorite holiness song. I don’t take them in, and raise them, and feed them until they can run alone: no, never. And just so with wicked thoughts: we don’t have to admit them into our lily-white hearts to contaminate them. Hallelujah! It is no bad omen to be tempted and tried: on the other hand, it is good evidence that the devil hasn’t got you.

Jesus says, in Matt. x, 36, that “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Thank

God, we can have a full deliverance from the people. Acts xxvi, 17: “Delivering thee from the people,” etc. Not only are we delivered from the people, but from this world. Gal . i, 4: “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father.” “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him.” (Psa. xci, 14, 15.) Delivered from darkness. (Col. i, 13.) Delivered from fear of death. (Heb. ii, 15.) Past, present, and future deliverance from this monster.

Our freedom and liberty has been purchased with the price of blood. Deliverance is ours,

from every foe. But a great many people are like the old colored lady that was working away in slavery, and hadn’t heard that the slaves were set free. When the gentleman approached her and told her she had been freed, she exclaimed, “No, sah: Ise not free;” and she wasn’t from the simple fact that she had not declared her freedom, although it had been obtained. A great many people today are in bondage, whose liberty has been given and could be had by the taking of it.

The people in Canaan are a delivered, therefore a free, people.

“Their chains have been broken, Their freedom is spoken, And now Jesus calls them His own.”

Then, again, they are delivered from the “carnal mind,” “the Old Man,” “the sin that

dwelleth in us,” etc. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Rom. vi, 6.) Then, if we are not to serve sin any longer, we are not to be in bondage to it. To serve, in this sense, means to slave. Thank God, we are slaves no longer, but set scott-free. “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Rom. vi, 22.)

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19 A FREE PEOPLE

Free from the “devil.” (1 John v, 18.) Free from “sin.” (Rom. vi, 22.) Free from

“condemnation.” (Rom. viii, 1.) Free from “darkness.” (Col. i, 13.) Free from “heaviness.” (Isa. lxi, 3.) Free from “fear.” (1 John iv, 18.) Free from “doubts.” Heb. vi, 17, 18.) Free from ”discouragement.” (Isa. liv, 17.) Free from “despondency.” (Isa. xxxv, 10.) Free from “despair.” (2 Cor. iv, 8.) Free from “death.” (Psa. lvi, 13.)

Dear reader, it is your blessed privilege to be free, full, fat, flourishing, and forever on the

victory side. But remember the way to it all is through the gate of faith.

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20 A FLOURISHING PEOPLE

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age: they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psa. xcii, 12-14.) Here is another picture of God’s people in the land, and God has hung it out in the picture gallery for us to look at. Now, take a good look at it, and you will see it stretching out and down through life, from the early morning of planting to the evening of old age.

God’s holy people are likened to trees in this picture:

“The trees of the Lord are full of sap: the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted.” (Psa.

civ. 16.) What the sap is to the trees, the Spirit is to the Christian. The tree that is full of sap is green and flourishing, and the Christian that is filled with the Spirit is flourishing, spreading out, and taking on new life. “Shall flourish like the palm-tree.” The palm tree is said to be the most useful tree in the world, there being not a particle of it but is put to some useful purpose. It will live in a climate where no other tree will grow. In the blistering sands of the great deserts it will

push its roots down till it strikes water, and will multiply its green foliage, and make it possible for other things to grow, and soon it has gathered around it quite a little family, and the beautiful oasis, with its green verdure, inviting shade, sparkling fountains, and singing birds, is the traveler’s paradise. So a Spirit-filled Christian, in the world’s great deserts of worldliness, formality, and sin, can prosper and thrive and gather round it an atmosphere of holiness and heaven, and be a blessing to the weary traveler on his march to the judgment.

O, that we may see the possibilities of grace that lie out before us! The unbounded,

unwasted fullness, unlimited and unexplored territory that is ours, can never be realized until we take possession and move out into the land farther than we have ever been. “There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” (Josh. xiii, 1.)

O, for a faith in God’s holy people that “laughs at impossibilities, and cries, It must be

done,” and that knows no defeat, and is a Stranger to discouragement: one that is the admiration of angels, and the chagrin of devils . that makes heaven rejoice, and hell mourn: one that climbs over circumstances ‘ environments, surroundings, and that scales the battlements of hell’s fortifications, and plants heaven’s flag on the devil’s territory, and takes possession! A rugged faith like this puts the people in Canaan, where they will always be–

Free, Fat, Flourishing, and Full: Vigorous, Victorious, in the Vanguard: Abounding, Astonishing, Achieving, Acquiring: Healed, Healthy, Holy, Hilarious: Rugged, Right, Running:

Singing, Shining, Shouting: Overcoming, Obedient, Overshadowed: Preserved, Prepared, Protected: Empowered, Exploring, and Effectual: Loaded, Leaping, Laughing, Loving: Willing, Watered, and Wanting Nothing!

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THE END

Duplication of this CD by any means is forbidden, and copies of individual files must be made in accordance with the restrictions stated in the B4Ucopy.txt file on this CD.

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Explorations in Canaan by Edward A. Fergerson

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